HONEST ABE & THE ASSASSINS -- lyrics, credits, song running times
LYRICS
IN MY GRAVE
You know Ive been all around this town
I tell you boys it aint no use
Ive seen my picture in a picture frame
But its a far cry from the truth
And I found myself down in the alley down by the trash cans
I was minding my business I was doing my best
When I ran across the man
I pulled into San Antone
You know back then I was the boss
But that was before that mighty storm
Before my sweet love got lost
You know me and her we had it all
We took our aim how could we miss
But sometimes when you shoot for the stars
You end up just like this
Crossed that river I crossed that bridge
Ive seen eyes dead to the dawn
I ran all the way down to 42nd street
I stuck a needle in my arm
And I met a man who carried a cross
I met another who carried a gun
And I watched in horror as those buildings fell
And all those people jumped
Now Im just laying in my grave
Im just a soldier in this holy war
I shoot my gun when Im told
Everyday I kill another one
Everyday I feel so old
And I hear the bombs and I hear the screams
Down here where the blood runs deep
And sometimes I look into our dirty faces
And all I want to do is weep
Chorus:
NEW ORLEANS
They say the storm has hit the coast
I wonder who will suffer most
In this land of Jesus Christ
I took to whiskey, women and dice
I come up from New Orleans
Way back when you know what I mean
Now people make a mockery of me
I close my eyes so I can see
I got the report the other day
I read the book, Ive seen the play
From gay Peru to Bollywood
Good is bad and bad is good
I got a woman I guess Im all right
We crossed that river into the night
I do my work I pay my rent
I dont care about no president
So go ahead Mister say what you will
People like you Ive had my fill
Break a mans heart, break a mans dreams
Ill see you down in New Orleans.
HEY MISS LUCY
Hey Miss Lucy tell me where youve been
Im in trouble with the law again
Got into a fight girl just the other night
Somebody called your name I thought it wasnt right
It just wasnt right
Well Ive been working trying to get along
Doing my best baby since youve been gone
But whiskey aint no cure girl for a broken heart
The blues come knocking it tears a man apart
It tears a man apart
Hey Miss Lucy I guess I better go
I know a place way down in Mexico
Across that Rio Grande girl thats where Im going to ride
You can tell that governor I aint ready to die
No, aint ready to die.
SISTERS FARM
Aint no letters in the mailbox today
Aint no letters in the mailbox today
Aint no sun there aint no rain
Aint no love when there aint no pain
Oh Im going down to sisters farm
Ah pretty baby dont you have a word to say
Ah pretty baby dont you have a word to say
Buy you a drink and what do I get
Another memory for me to forget
Oh Im going down to sisters farm
I see the trucks come and I see the trucks go
I see the trucks come and I see the trucks go
Big wheels running all over my road
Stuck in the mud with such a heavy load
Oh Im going down to sisters farm
Aint no letters in the mailbox today
Aint no letters in the mailbox today
Aint no sun there aint no rain
Aint no love when there aint no pain
Oh Im going down to sisters farm
FREE YOUR MIND
Firecrackers in the midnight sun
In the name of peace evil getting done
Open the door, take a good look around
Kid you better keep your feet on the ground
Free your mind
I sucked the dust into my lungs
I drank the poison Im no longer young
My time on earth I know it isnt long
I hate to see anybody do somebody wrong
I open my eyes I try to help
But the enemy is always somewhere else
I can see the critics guard the rich mans gate
I can feel his anger I can feel his hate
Jesus was a stranger a savior you know
He use to wear sandals he use to wear robes
He use to teach about love and peace
I wonder now what hed think of Christianity
I heard the coyotes the big cats roar
What it all means Im not even sure
I may be uneducated I may not know a lot
But I can see the diseases that everybodys got
She came to town with her mothers guitar
She drove in slow in some beat up old car
She gave herself she sang from the heart
But it was her beauty that got her the part
Hey Joe pour me a whiskey
Make it a tall one now dont be tricky
Im sorry about your wife Im sorry about your son
I cant help it if I look like Im the one
LOVE & TRUST
I know a place where I can go
I have a love who treats me so
She knows my mind she knows my heart
She dont want to tear it apart
You want it you got it
Its yours for free
But baby dont tell no lies
No baby dont tell no lies
To me
Shes in love one more time
Im in love but I dont mind
I need no reason to hold her tight
I cant help it if I stay the night
Chorus
Everywhere I go everywhere it seems
I just dont belong
But time is money people keep telling me
But it just feels all so wrong
Baby I dont understand how some people live
How they talk, take and give
Theres a treasure that waits for us
All we need is love and trust
Chorus
LOVERS IN THE NIGHT
Johnny boy, oh Johnny boy
You sure look like a mess
Man he says I got so many problems
My baby dont give me no rest
My head is spinning Im so confused
I just dont know what to do
Babys got me under her thumb
And she knows how to turn the screw
And I said hold on Johnny boy
Johnny hold on tight
Maybe well find some lovers in the night
Someone who will make it alright
Crazy Mary sitting at the bar
Drunk and singing up a storm
Talking about how it was ten years ago
And shes holding on to some kids arm
He says let me go you crazy bitch
What do you think I am some kind of whore
And the little girl in her breaks down and cries
And she falls broken to the floor
And I said hold on Mary girl
Mary hold on tight
Maybe well find some lovers in the night
Someone who will make it alright
King of the scene walks into the room
Says have you heard the news
War I hear and its coming this way
You better put on your combat shoes
But then some overage lawyer for the cause
You know he says its all an absolute outrage
Anybody who thinks like that
Should be thrown into a cage
But then some kid who looks like a wise old sage
You know he starts talking in a quiet rage
He says man I wouldnt worry its all a bluff
Just a bluff to get you to behave
But then someone else says man youre way off base
Dont you see nothing ever changes
So pack up your mouths and put your fingers away
Cause its all been arrange
And I said hold on everybody
Everybody hold on tight
Maybe well find some lovers in the night
Someone who will make it alright.
SUNDAY AFTERNOON IN AUSTIN
Its Sunday afternoon in Austin
Traffic moving slow
So many things here are changing
So many people feeling low
Well I played that gambling game now baby
You know I risked it all
You can sure see who your friends are
Looking up after you fall
Some people are born lucky
Some people learn how to smile
But I could just never baby
You know that scene wasnt my style
Now Im looking in your eyes now baby
I dont see no more love there
So many times you tried to tell me
So many times I didnt hear
Yeah its Sunday afternoon in Austin
It sures a pretty day
But Im standing where that sun aint shinning
Watching my baby walk away.
SOUL STREET SHUFFLE
Skeletons are rattling
Bones about to break
Yeah Im walking these streets
Everybodys on the take
I see the eyes of the innocent
I hear the voice of regret
Ah theres so much to remember
Ah theres so much to forget
Well Ive been running a long time
Honey you know its true
Oh cant you see now baby
Ive been looking for you
Well some people are like the weather
You know they change everyday
Well youre lucky if you get buried
Boy youre lucky if you get laid
Well last night I saw this shadow
It scared the hell out of me
Well I knew I had to face it
I knew I had to see
Well I stood there in the darkness
Honey trying to find a way through
Oh cant you see now baby
How I feel about you
Well the joint was rocking
But I was living mighty thin
I knocked on that door
But they wouldnt let me in
So I just kept on playing
I watched the pretty people dance
But when that scene exploded
Nobody had a chance
I ran to the corner
Honey trying to find you
Oh cant you see now baby
It hurts me too
Well I heard somebody talking
Said everything gonna be alright
Well its just another day
Lord its just another night
Well Ive been on this road
Im about out of my mind
It seems the more I travel
The less I find
Now Im standing here in the ruins
Of everything I thought I knew
Oh cant you see now baby
Im a little bit confused
Well I know it aint easy
Some people dont understand
How a man loves a woman
How a woman loves a man
Well I stood in that courtroom
I tried to plead my case
But I could see my future
Written on everybodys face
Well I guess I deserve it
Honey for doing what I do
Oh cant you see now baby
What Ive been going through
Well I know its all politics
Yeah I know how it works
When money is everything
Everybody gonna get hurt
Now when I walk out my door
I take one step at a time
I aint looking for nothing
Cause I know nothing aint mine
Well they say were all born wise
Honey only to be buried a fool
Oh cant see now baby
Ive been dying for you
SEND A PICTURE
Send a picture wont you
I might need it some day
Be it one of her smiling
Id like to remember her that way
It was down in San Antone
A time I remember so well
I was just a kid then
Nothing nobody could tell
Old tales and promises
Have seen the best of these eyes
Cant forget the way she held me
Cant forget the way she cried
Yes it all comes back clearly now
Oh how it can hurt
I should of known better
Should of realized the worth
I sit in this café
Another face in the room
As the waves crash the shoreline
The clouds roll by the moon
And I wonder if it really matters
Whether Im here or there
And is it for her or myself
For whom I shed these tears
So send a picture wont you
I might need it some day
Be it one of her smiling
I like to remember her that way
It was down in San Antone
A time I remember so well
I was just a kid then
Couldnt hear the ringing for the bells
THERES A LINE
Theres a judgement out there
Between right and wrong
I just fire my weapon
I just sing my song
Well I stood in the shadows
Ive seen the King
And Ive heard the bells
Of revolution ring
Well time keeps rolling
No matter the cost
And Im trying to be happy
About what weve lost
You can rip me off
You can tell me lies
But theres a line that you cross
When my son dies
Dont look for me baby
Cause Ill be gone
But Ill be back someday
When some good gets done
PACK OF LIES
Dont get twisted on me sister
Ballistic on me Mister
Its all just a pack of lies
The air is thick with a smoky rain
The steel the bricks crumble beneath the flames
She comes to me with a crown on her head
Be brave be free I whisper Im dead
Drunken sailors drunken Popes
Drunken men without no hope
Remember me I heard somebody say
Tell my wife, my son about this day
Through cracked windows a fallen sky
Faces of the living haunt my eyes
I take a breath I barely breathe
I try to forget I try to leave
But my legs are gone I cant see my hands
I cant feel my bones trying to stand
I reach I crawl I lay back down
I hear my voice call across this town
Remember how I kissed you
Remember how I kissed you the night we met
I love you, I love you dont ever forget
Thunder Road, Thunder Road play it once for me
Tell everybody we know Im forever free
By the quarry on the outskirts of town
Ill be waiting for you baby with the top turned down
And this time well ride with your hand in mine
Across the river all the way down the line.
ALRIGHT
Love and hate
Hate and love
Fits some people
You know just like a glove
Alright
Hell and heaven
Heaven and hell
Whats going on here you know
Its getting so hard to tell
Alright
Up in the morning to bed at night
Pull your baby closer and just try to hold on to her so tight
Mama tried to tell me daddy did to
Cause you believe in something boy dont mean its true
Alright
Standing on this corner
In this two bit town
Policeman looking at me
You know I best be getting around
Alright
I rode a horse
I drove a car
Got on my motorcycle
But I never did get too far
Alright
I walked out that door walked down that road
Now it seems like I always end up somehow wherever I go
Mama tried to tell me daddy did too
Just cause you got an answer boy dont mean you got a clue
Alright
Folks on my left
Folks on my right
Going to pick up my jacket
And just say goodnight
Alright
Gonna shine my boots
Grab my pack
Put this baby in gear
And just get on down the track
Alright
People say this, people say that
Point their little greedy fingers
And try to tell you where everything is at
Mama tried to tell me daddy did too
You can go to your grave boy singing these blues
Alright
IN MEMORY OF BENNY
Benny left home, they said he stole a truck
We never heard from him, he never wrote to us
Who gives a damn I heard one of my many uncles say
Youre better off baby he was a rotten kid anyway
Sister goes down the street to see her boyfriend there
He dont speak much English but she dont seem to care
The old lady screams at her when she gets in at night
Me, I just turn up my music, when they start to fight
I go down to the park sometimes we sniff some glue
I see all my boys there theyre always giving me the news
I know I aint nothing but a piece of white trash
Everybody in this world, even the cops wanna kick my ass
They sent Benny home one day in a government box
Turns out he joined the marines and he went to Iraq
One of my many uncles got my old lady stoned & inebriated
The very next day they took Benny down and had him cremated
Im startin high school Im kind of looking forward to it
Couple of more years around here, Ill be through with all of this
I got some girl friends, you know theyre always doing me plenty
But sometimes at night I think about my brother Benny
BAKERSFIELD TONIGHT
The magic man he took you down
You were just another face waiting to be found
I tried to love you but that was years ago
You had your mind made up where you wanted to go
The gypsy boy with his face of tattoos
He pointed his finger he was talking to you
Inside the school, with a needle in your hand
He whispered in your ear and away you ran
Im sitting in a bar in Bakersfield tonight
Im drinking hard, trying hold on tight
Watching the clock and the second hand creep
Toward the hour of death when theyll put you to sleep
Well your daddy went down on his knees before the judge
But for a poor man the law dont budge
He went home went crazy put a bullet through his head
And they found him with a note at the foot of your bed
The media rushed in with blood in their eyes
They stole your pictures and told their lies
Preachers screamed, Politicians went wild
And some DA got himself a name with your trial
Chorus
Well I dont know why people do what they do
These days we all seem far from the truth
So much hypocrisy and so many lies
And so many people feeling empty inside
Sometimes I think I understand
How you felt that day with that gun in your hand
You werent shooting people but something much bigger
Every time you screamed and pulled the trigger
Chorus
Well were all as guilty, guilty as sin
I dont care what religion sister youre singin
God only knows its just another excuse
For another massacre on the evening news
I can still hear your mother calling our names
We were just two kids out playing in the rain
You were the girl who gave me my first kiss
Now who could believe it all turned out like this
Chorus
NASHVILLE BLUES
Well I went up to Nashville just to see my Annie Lou
Yeah I went up to Nashville just to see my Annie Lou
Well you know shes the girl Ive been loving true
When I got to Nashville I knew I was trouble bound
Yeah when I got to Nashville I knew I was trouble bound
They didnt like the way I looked, didnt like the way my guitar sounds
Well her brother and her pa they took one look at me
Yeah her sister and her ma, they took one look at me
Well they said hey boy, I think you better leave
When they pulled that stick on me I had me a bigger one
When they pulled that stick on me I had me a bigger one
Well I grabbed my Annie Lou and boys we began to run
If you ever get to Nashville you best not mention my name
If you ever get to Nashville you best not mention my name
They might think that you know me and treat you just the same
Yeah I went up to Nashville just to see my Annie Lou
Yeah I went up to Nashville just to see my Annie Lou
Well you know thats a city where money is the measure of you
MIDNIGHT ECLIPSE
Rain falls through this warehouse window
On the edge of the forest where raindrops glow
Down that long lost inroad of time
Where hells flame loses its fire
Where heavens gate is just another sign
Where truth hints its creation at the breath of desire
There are no leaders or conquerors or anything holy
There are only clowns doing the roly-poly
Where the darkness of the night can blind you
Where the fear of the sound can haunt you
Where the voice inside your soul can paralyze you
Where the paupers warning is heeded and used
There are no graves or tombs or cemetery plots
There are only spaces and spaces that are not
Where all that is watched is finally touched
Where pure existence or any thought of seems relative
Where all words are seen as a crutch
Where theres no conformity in the eyes of those who give
There sings no greatness or worship of any hero
There is only the future countin back to zero
Theres a girl standing on the corner
Shes looking at you looking at her
Tell me son what are you gonna do?
A LOVE SONG
Want to write you a love song
Want to sing it out so loud
Want the words and the melody
To rise above this crowd
Want to tell you I love you
Want to make you understand
I want you to know I need you babe
To come and take my hand
Oh Im just trying to sing
Only words that are true
And Im just trying to say
That I love you
A friend came here last evening
With his head down below his knees
Telling me a story telling me a tale
I didnt want to believe
I sat outside my window
With the stars above so high
Some things are hard to understand
No matter the reasons why
Chorus
Well maybe tomorrow will find you
Back here in my arms
Maybe tomorrow will find you
Still under a strangers charm
But Ill be here singing
This song I wrote for you
You know Id give you all my best
Thats all I could ever do
Chorus
LIGHT TRAVELS WITH BUDDHA
Well I can see the stars
Shining in the night
And I have traveled far
Following the light
Ive been following the light
Well Ive been on this road
A pilgrim of sorts
I carry my load
As I go from port to port
As I go from port to port
After all is said and done
Beautys in our eyes
And I dont need to run
Or believe in all their lies
Or believe in all their lies
Yeah I can see the stars
Shinning in the night
And I have traveled far
Following the light
Ive been following the light.
SO FAR BEHIND
Ride your horse through that golden gate
Let the solar winds blow
Tell that orphan child to wait
Im not ready to go
Ive been doubled crossed now
One too many times
And I am so far behind
I can still see his face on the cross
You know it was I who rolled the dice
I can still see him standing on the streets of old Montmartre
Tears falling from his eyes
I climbed those steps I sang those songs
Until I nearly lost my mind
Now I am so far behind
Down the street I hear the soldiers marching
Girl wed better say goodbye
Say hello to the angels for me
Honey dont forget to write
For now this cup is overflowing
With this bitter wine
And I am so far behind
BLOW MAN BLOW
So the hope was there in the eyes of innocent
But then it was over the streets screamed repent
I ran down to the shore saw ships sailing east
There was ghosts there was war no talk of peace
Blow man blow, blow your horn
The docks are empty stars are being torn
Into two, into three
Dont pack it up man dont quit on me
My heart is gone my mind is too
I use to be somebody, somebody like you
Somebody like you somebody like me
The 13th round came and I was still on my feet
The hook landed, I hit the wall
I didnt know how to duck, didnt know how to fall
My lips bled, my eyes swelled
Into a puddle of blood is where I fell
They carried me off strapped to the bed
Put me on the floor between the living and the dead
I reached for that ring, I pulled it hard
Now I can hear shovels digging out in the yard
I jumped the fence I cleared the wire
I come to a place where the cities are on fire
I met a man who was just sitting there
He said "Son listen dont you hear?"
Blow man blow, blow your horn
Stay awhile until the dawn
Im counting one, Im counting two and three
One more time man and well be free
BROWNSVILLE TONIGHT
Night is dark night is cold
Standing here at the end of the road
Im going down to Brownsville tonight
Got a broken heart troubled mind
I just cant leave either one behind
Im going down to Brownsville tonight
I found her note on the kitchen table
I should forget her but I aint able
Im going down to Brownsville tonight
I got me some whiskey I got me a gun
Aint for nothing Im my daddys son
Im going down to Brownsville tonight
Gonna find that girl with her soldier boy
Me and my pal here gonna make some noise
Im going down to Brownsville tonight
You call out the sheriff you call out the state
But theyre all gonna get here a moment too late
Im going down to Brownsville tonight
CODE OF THE WEST
Footsteps pounding in the middle of the night
Freight train running towards a distant light
The lonely corner a vacant lot
Another bad deal another kid shot
Some say its for the worse some say its for the best
Some people will just tell you its the code of the west
Backstreet dancer lousy whore
Men and whiskey kid on the floor
Just like your mama just like your pa
Everybody dreams of going far
Chorus
I got a friend jumped to his death
Forty floors up he aint landed yet
I asked him why he did it he said what the hell
Everybody needs a story to sell
Chorus
Shes packing her bags going away
Tired of all the bloodshed all the lies they say
I cant blame her, shes right you know
Its all about the money all about the show
Chorus
I GOT A FEELING
Honey I hear the rain
Falling on the roof
Honey I feel the pain
Im not bullet proof
I got a feeling
Just like some picture show
That we sit down here to watch
Honey I just dont know
All these changes in the plot
Chorus
Outside the thunder crashes
And the lightning strikes
Honey will this storm pass us
Or is this some darkest night
Chorus
INNOCENT MAN
Might have been from New York City
Might have been from Ohio
Might have been from St. Louis
Or down round Mexico
Might have been only eighteen
Might have been an old man
Might have been college educated
Or come from a foreign land
Innocent man, innocent man
He was just another innocent man
Well it could have been hunger
Could have been greed
Maybe it was the pressure
Of some crazy inner need
Maybe he had a wife
Maybe he had some kids
But who could really blame him
For doing what he did
Chorus
Tell me what can you do
When you got nothing left
Throw your life on the line
And hope for the very best
Maybe it was a robbery
It might have been cocaine
It might have been a bluff
Or it might have been a frame
Chorus
Well now he lays covered up
Out on the avenue
With a bullet through his head
Shot dead without a clue
And everybody wonders
Just who he might be
But I say a prayer
Cause it could have been you or me
Chorus
JACKSON
Theres trouble on the border
Violence in the air
Theres a band playing Dixie
Bells ringing in the square
Theres a storm out in the desert
Rain falling through the trees
Somewhere tonight a star is falling
Somewhere a lover weeps
Im going back to Jackson
Gonna see my baby there
Im going back to Jackson
Before I disappear
It was down in San Pedro
Time finally ran out
They found him by the railroad tracks
Nobody heard his last rebel shout
You can call out your rubber tire taxis
Paint your wagons black
Theres twelve men going to the graveyard boys
Aint but eleven coming back
Chorus
Now they say the war is coming
Just a matter of time
You can hear the drums a pounding
Peace slipping down the line
Well Im sitting in this café
All my friends are gone
Im drinking on tequila boys
I never felt so alone
Chorus
LOOK OUT
Betty Jean from New Orleans
Says you already know you know what I mean
You cant run from the voodoo man
He gonna get you when he can
Look out
Catherine from San Francisco
Says you cant lie about what you dont know
Cause in the end youre gonna find
We always knew what was on your mind
Chorus
Isabella from Detroit City
Says grown men you know theyve got no pity
Take what they get and get what they take
Make up lies about it for goodness sake
Chorus
Honey Marie from Pittsburgh
Says you cant tell me about what Ive already heard
It may be true but it aint fair
You wanna stay skinny honey you best use the stairs
Chorus
Crystal from Santa Fe
She says progress boys just gets in my way
You look around theres just too much stuff
The things you need why you just cant get enough
Chorus
Olivia from Old Montreal
She says boys Im in it for the long haul
So take what you got and get off my floor
And dont be bothering me anymore
Chorus
SONG FOR THE HOMELESS
The lights are all shining
On this city tonight
But everythings not as bright as it seems
For deep in the shadows on streets dark and narrow
Lives the other side of the American dream
Ah but you who are hungry
For you who are homeless
For you who are troubled and down
This world dont much care
About its children
Lost on the streets of this town
Now Ive heard the preacher
And Ive heard the politician
Make headlines about once every year
But when the moneys collected
And the votes are all counted
Aint it funny how compassion disappears
Chorus
Now the nights almost over
And all the party goers
Go back to houses safe and warm
With no idea what its like
To spend every night
Not knowing if youll ever see the dawn
Chorus
TRAINS GO BY
Well I, I went downtown
Climb those steps below
I stood on the platform
And I watched her go
Well she told me it was over
Yes she told me farewell
Ah but I, I just looked her over
And I, I wished her well
Trains go by
Now eventually we all go our own ways
We all move to the time we set
But there are moments in this life
Even as theyre happening
You know youll just never forget
Chorus
MY HOME CITY
See the traffic
Out on the street
People getting mad
People getting beat
In the city
My home city
The sky is filled
With giant cranes
Nothing here
Gonna stay the same
Chorus
I got a kid
I got a wife
Ive lived and worked here
All my life
Chorus
Now they say
I gotta move
You see they want
My neighborhood too
Chorus
Last night
I took one last ride
Way downtown
By the riverside
Chorus
So many people
Strangers to me
So many places
Now just a memory
Chorus
HONEST ABE -- SONG RUNNING TIMES:
Bakersfield Tonight 3:14
Blow Man Blow 4:09
Brownsville Tonight 3:50
Code Of The West 4:17
Free Your Mind 4:13
Hey Miss Lucy 3:09
I Got A Feeling 3:35
In Memory of Benny (2) 3:20
In Memory of Benny (1) 3:44
In My Grave 5:10
Innocent Man 2:34
Jackson 5:25
Light Travels With Buddha 3:26
Look Out 3:34
Love and Trust 2:55
Lovers In The Night 5:25
Alright 4:18
A Love Song 3:26
Nashville Blues 3:07
New Orleans 3:31
Pack Of Lies 3:52
Send A Picture 4:39
Sisters Farm 3:45
So Far Behind 4:48
Song For The Homeless 3:22
Soul Street Shuffle 6:25
Sunday Afternoon In Austin 3:09
Theres A Line 3:32
Trains Go By 4:02
Midnight Eclipse 3:40
My Home City 3:49
HONEST ABE CREDITS:
Produced by Tom Ovans
Executive Producer: Lou Ann Bardash
Recorded and Mixed at Barking Dog in Austin, TX
Mastered at Sound Mine by Peter Blackwell
Design by Joe Montgomery
Photography by Sung Park
Tom Ovans vox, guitars, mandolin, bass, percussion, harmonica
All songs by Tom Ovans
C & P Tom Ovans
Administered in Europe by Bug Music BMI